Why am I feeling so apathetic towards this game against Peterborough ?

I mean, there isn't the remotest chance that the team 2nd in the premiereship should have any problems with a side from a lower division. It's completely ludicrous.

And, it should be the easiest thing in the world for a club as huge as we are, to battle on two fronts. We can easily cope with the increased injury risks.

And getting the double would be a great way to get some more silverware.

So why the apathy ?

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

Answers

Apathy prevails.

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

I've had a go at people for the last three years who say the FAC has lost its lustre, but I find myself exactly the same. It's not that I don't care, and of course I'll watch the match and get excited, but right now I just ain't that interested. Perhaps if it were Arsenal/ Manure / L'pool instead of P'boro...

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

Possibly because our history shows this isn't the walkover game it should be. We have plenty of practice at making life difficult for ourselves against lesser oppo.

However, I am very excited. Mainly cause it's a rare chance for me to actually watch us. Live!. Not as good as being there, but better than webcasts and text updates. :-)

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

Chaps, it's because we're playing a team which on paper we should thump (yes, I know, we don't play on paper), and because deep down we all have a wild but optimistic notion that we might, just might, be able to do something in the Premiership this season, but we're all to nervous to voice it after the TIWY years. And we don't want anything to deflect those dreams, although the double would be nice (yeah, big joke)

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

Try telling that to a Leeds fan PB.

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

I'm fully expecting it to go to a replay.

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

That's pretty positive for you Dougal :o)

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

That shouldn't have come as any surprise to even a Leeds fan Screach. I mean, if we can beat them, anybody can. :-{E}

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

The apathy is nothing to do with P'boro. The apathy is because it's the third round. If we can progress to the 5/6th rounds, I'm sure we'll all start getting a bit more excited. (I think it's also partly because there's no Wembley at the end of it, though for that we should be grateful).

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

Is it not the case that in recent years, the Cup has been our aim and not a distraction from the league campaign? Now that we have a top 6 team (Chumps (sic) League at a push) playing some crappy 3rd rate team at the wrong end of the GNER line at their poxy 4th rate ground (so bad the manager openly admits to it!) seems to be a sideline.

Personally, I think the Cup is the only thing we have any chance of winning this season (like to be proved worng, mind) and a nice 5th round home draw after a solid Sunday performance will do very nicely to keep that alive, thank you. :-) Remember, the Cup has a special tradition on Tyneside that deserves to continue, despite the fashion for the League to take precedence. BTW When I say 'special tradition' please ignore anything post 1955.

And DYK Roy Kinnear did adverts for the town of Peterborough dressed as a Roman Centurion, in the same style as 'I wished I lived in Milton Keynes'. Yes, it was a crap ad.

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

Beat P'boro and we'll BE in the 5th round..

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

I wish I lived in Milton Keynes Bobby.

Hold on - I do!

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

You'll be familiar with the (in)famous grid layour of the streets then? :-) It struck me as a bit Stepford Wives, I reckon. Little boxes on the hillside, little boxes made of ticky-tacky...

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

Steady on marra - Divvent knaa aboot ticky tacky

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

It'll be a hard match, but I expect us to come through, even if it takes a replay. We have a more than capable second string to beat Peterborough.

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

I'm with PB and nick on this one. I've always been a huge fan of the FAC - but I couldn't be @rsed with the Palace game, and am even less excited about this one.

I think Bobby's closest to identifying the underlying cause - we are biting our lips over the possibility of a push for the PL with a squad we instinctively know isn't deep enough. We just don't want to contemplate any distraction from the main event, and the ever-present possibility of injuries that could screw up everything.

The quality of the opposition, and the pathetic attempts of that oafish tw@t, Farry Bry, to wind us up doesn't help.

Bobby's also got it right when he says a win, and a juicy 5th Round tie against some decent opposition, would sweep away the present FAC apathy, and get us dreaming of a trip to ....... well Cardiff, actually. Hhmmmm.

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

Lack of interest in the cup possibly because we're all concentratingon the league?

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

And then we have more agony piled on when the team we made a complete ar5e of beating at the weekend go 2 down in next to no time against the team we beat to go top, and the side we're playing in just over a week, are giving Chelsea the old heave ho from the Worthless.

How can anybody ever make reasoned assessments of this club that seems to love to disappoint us ? A few more performances like Saturday's, and we'd be better off forgetting the league and concentrating on the cup.

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

At least if Spurs win the Worthless, that's one less team to contend with for an Intertoto spot. ;-)

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

I can't believe how fickle some of you lot are.

One dodgy result against Leicester and our season is suddenly over. One good win against Leeds and we are title contenders.

Make up your mind, you can't base a season on one game.

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

But you can base expectations on past history. I haven't written off the season, but I can't ignore factors that are so unpredictable and apparently illogical, that I refuse the give myself the psychological hassle of hoping and having my hopes dashed and not being able to explain why.

It seems to be only inconsistancy that we can rely on. That's hard to bear.

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

But is our last game really far enough back to be past history?

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

It wasn't really a point aimed at you PB as you've kept roughly the same views throughout, but you have to admit that there are a lot of Newcastle fans whose opinion on the team swings dramatically from one game to the next.

Perhaps I have been guilty of it on a few occasions this season, when I get a funny feeling about a game and just think we won't win it.

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

I have to say I've been pretty surprised by the reactions to the Leicester result too - it was a point away from home for crying out loud. Not a result to cheer about but hardly the end of the world. If football was just about the best team winning it would be pretty dull. It's not just us that are inconsistent - off the top of my head this season I can recall Arsenal losing at home against Bolton and Charlton, Leeds being knocked out of the cup by Cardiff, Liverpool getting 1 point in 2 games against Southampton and man United getting beaten by half the Premiership. As far as I can see our away form has been terrific, we're in a great position and we've played most of our hardest fixtures. In the past when we've gone to places like Leicester and our attacking players have had an off day the defence has also slipped up - this time we've had an off day and the back line have stood up and collected us a point. Despite being bottom Leicester have only lost 5 of their 11 home fixtures - in other words over half of the sides who have been there have failed to win. Yes, it would be nice if we'd been one of them but we just have to accept that we can't win them all.

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

Paul - there are more than enough people on here who reckon we'll lose every bloody game, and then spend the rest of the week bulling up our expectations while at the same time castigating anyone who introduces a sense of realism or caution.

It seems to me that Pit Bill is actually one of the more realistic, and certainly more consistent.

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

I agree Clarky about PB, it was a general observation of quite a few fans. Not really a criticism of them as such, it's quite amusing in some ways.

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

However, it is always hard to be realistic with NUFC as the realistic outcome rarely happens :)

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

.......precisely PB's point, I think. ;o{]

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

If everyone had the same opinion about everything there'd be nothing to whinge about. ;-)

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

Party pooper.:-{E}

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2002

I really hope we beat Peterbrough AND get a home tie in the next round. Otherwise I'll becoming all this way just for the one game. This is my biggest game of the season!

-- Anonymous, January 24, 2002

I lust after winning the FA Cup, we should beat Peterboro and if we don't I'll be fucking purple in the face.

-- Anonymous, January 24, 2002

Who's Purple and will he/she wear a mask for this?

-- Anonymous, January 24, 2002

I think the vast majority of toon fans are still well up for the cup. We sold out our 4000 allocation for Peterboro in a day. 39000 for the 3rd round tie against Palace is a gate only Man U would have bettered. The Premiership title would be a dream, the FA Cup however is a far more realistic/achievable goal.

Question: what would we rather have, a Championship League place (after finishing 2nd, 3rd or 4th) or that nice shiny silver thing modelled on Prince Charles' ears?

I'll go for something in the trophy cabinet any day.

-- Anonymous, January 24, 2002

Now that is a very interesting question DSS!

Actually, I'd far rather have the FA Cup. Hhmm.

-- Anonymous, January 24, 2002

Their pitch is supposed to be in pretty bad shape. But as I pointed out to my Dad. Its can't be any worse than ours was!

-- Anonymous, January 24, 2002

Can we be greedy and have both?

-- Anonymous, January 24, 2002

+++Bobby Is Right...2ce, Says Clarky - shocker! Exclusive+++ ;-P

I still want to see some silverware and if we manage a top 6 league placing AND win the Cup, I think YBR will never have to buy anything in Newcastle ever again.

-- Anonymous, January 24, 2002

except a mdfielder

-- Anonymous, January 24, 2002

And a good left back

-- Anonymous, January 24, 2002

And a new pitch

-- Anonymous, January 24, 2002

proper training facilities

-- Anonymous, January 24, 2002

...padding for my seat.

-- Anonymous, January 24, 2002

I've been tpld your seat has plenty of padding clarky

-- Anonymous, January 24, 2002

No, that's just the incontinence pads...

-- Anonymous, January 25, 2002

:o{[

-- Anonymous, January 25, 2002

Is that a registered mark clarky?

-- Anonymous, January 25, 2002

I doubt it. It's the usual sort of mark he makes. Oh, sorry, I thought you were still on about his padded seats.

-- Anonymous, January 25, 2002